Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to networks and, in particular, to controlling incoming traffic into a network.
Description of the Related Art
Networks are increasingly connected to multiple providers for reliability purposes, and one of the network operators' main objectives is to control (e.g., load balance) the incoming traffic across the ingress border routers to lower transit costs, avoid network congestion, offer better performances, and withstand traffic surges (e.g., flash crowds).
However, the tools network operators currently have at their disposal are very rudimentary. Existing methods for controlling incoming traffic are manual, error prone, vulnerable to instabilities, and provide unpredictable outcomes.
The current protocols allow operators to control the outgoing traffic but a systematic solution for controlling incoming traffic is urgently lacking.